The present invention relates generally to battery and starter circuitry testing devices, and is particularly concerned with a device or apparatus for early warning of imminent battery failure or poor starter circuit conditions in automobiles or other vehicles, or other devices employing battery power.
Vehicles employ a battery both for starting the engine and running the other electrical systems in the vehicle. It is inconvenient when the battery fails unexpectedly, causing the vehicle and thus the motorist to be stranded wherever the battery fails. Up to now, there has been no effective device for monitoring the battery condition to provide a warning when battery failure is imminent, even though motorists would much rather have the opportunity to change the vehicle battery before the vehicle actually breaks down. Currently, battery performance load tests can be performed at a service station, but this is expensive and requires the driver to take the vehicle in for a service. Furthermore, it is very time consuming because a battery must first be fully charged before it can be load tested. The load test procedure adapted by the military is based on a 20 hour test period. For example, a 200 ampere battery must be able to provide 10 ampere continuously for 20 hours before reaching its low voltage limit. This is very impractical for the motoring public, and is also expensive. This test is of limited value, since even if the test indicates that the battery is performing as required, the battery might still fail at some time in the relatively near future. Since the driver cannot take their vehicle in every day, or even on a weekly basis, to have the battery tested, current battery performance testing is impractical and does not significantly reduce the risk of unexpected battery failure. Basically, the only battery performance testing done now is when the driver turns on the ignition key. The battery is either able to start the car or it does not and this is where the problem lies. Thus, there is no effective test for advance indication of imminent battery failure.
Similar drawbacks are inherent in other equipment using battery power. Batteries may fail at inconvenient times, and there has, up to now, been no convenient way to monitor battery performance either continuously or on a relatively regular basis.